ECCD 3-6, BE and SHN are 6-12 Sustained funding for 10+ years Early Child Care and Development for 3-6, Basic Education and School health and Nutrition for 6-12, and Adolescent Development for age12-18. AD integrates reproductive and sexual health with 1+ other component Livelihoods readiness and/or nonformal education. 7 AD programs: Bangladesh, Bolivia, Philippines, Mozambique, Nepal, Ethiopia and Egypt
This was a quick and dirty internal review , however what we wanted to find out was whether an integrated approach was more effective than SRH alone which had been our previous approach. We also wanted to move from anecdotal evidence to quantifiable/measurable evidence in our programming for adolescents Increased assets (measured by the Developmental Assets Profile) Use of key reproductive health services (measured through health service visits and contraceptive distribution) Educational attainment (measured by the completion of an educational program and development of literacy skills) Improved livelihoods (measured by the use of financial services and attainment of financial readiness skills) Changes in management to better support integrated programming for adolescents
This was an internal review and focused more on programs design and management—to help us decide if we should continue with this approach after one year of implementation of this approach? Is a multisectoral program was more efficient in meeting the needs of vulnerable youth?
NEED MORE CONCRETE DATA HERE. Based on these findings we redesigned our AD Module for sponsorship.Youth led Findings from the assessment led to revision of our guidance manual. At the same time we measure over a 6 month period of time the non sector based assets of these same youth to see if the cross sectoral approach improved assets Integrated program was preferred Generally field-led. Each of the sectors delivers value. Assets are a useful organizing framework, particularly for youth Integration most successful in reaching in-school youth; difficult for the most vulnerable to participate Youth-led interventions are effective in addressing critical needs. May offer ways to reach more marginal youth. Could be useful in keeping older youth engaged. Programs could benefit from more gender-specific activities. Programs do not always respond to some key risks faced by youth.
As was already mentioned, assets are internal and external building blocks for healthy development. These elements of who we are can always be enhanced and increased. This measurement of assets is very interesting now to donors because it is seen as a way to measure empowemrnt – this is beyond our sectoral work.
Although AD approach seemed intuitively to work better programmatically and better serve the needs youth, we also actually measured the effects in terms of assets (non sectoral measure). Here is a comparison of boys and girls over time – in this case a 6-month period Note: it is a self-assessment (questionnaire -- engagement activity, feel comfortable, not a test but self-exploration tool) For girls the greatest change is in boundaries and expectations but for boys in empowerment, commitment to learning, positive values and social competencies.
So this is the resulting framework we developed after we saw effectiveness of the integrated approach. This diagram shows how assets relate to the skill building in each of the sectoral areas, while building their own assets through youth led activities and youth friendly services. First, look across the top at the age spectrum, and notice how this is a time oriented approach, starting as early as age 10 and moving forward up to age 18. On the left you see the asset-building core curriculum for all youth, with ARSH, LH, and post-primary education content and objectives . On the right you see Service learning opportunities = for example, volunteering at health facilities, business coaching other youth. IN ADDITION, some of these opportunities could be structured so that they involve reaching out to more vulnerable youth Skills in Livelihoods would include savings clubs, financial literacy. Skills in ARSH would include puberty education and family planning and life skills. Skills in post primary education would include functional literacy, pre-vocational training, vocational training (or links to vocational training). This could be linked into the formal school system (if possible), but could also be separate from the formal school system. As these sectoral skills are established, the adolescents move forward in their development by doing service learning opportunities. These opportunities enable them to also grow in their assets. Examples of service learning opportunities would include volunteering at a health facility or coaching other youth in business skills. All along the continuum, youth are engaging in youth-led activities – such as savings clubs and child clubs -- and promoting youth friendly services -- for example in clinics, school or financial services -- which serve to further develop their assets, and those of other youth.
A bit more about the approach. AD continues to work with adolescents 12-18 years. By multisectoral we mean including at least 2 sectors. These include adolescent reproductive health, economic opportunities and nonformal education. This is what we strive for, however Some country offices have only one sector (MOZ) and some have two but do not include ARSH (Egypt) Assets based. By assets we mean relationships opportunities and personal qualities that young people need in order to avoid risks and thrive. There is a correlation between asset development and prevention of high risk behavior including premature sexual activity and engagement in violence. And increases in assets are associated with school achievement and attendance. We have anecdotal evidence that AD programs make a difference in the wellbeing of young people but it is difficult to measure this aside from the specific indicators we measure. For this reason we have included an annex on measuring developmental assets. Enables us to track categeories of assets over time, which can serve as a higher level of evaluation of wellbeing of adolescents. There is a tool called the development assets profile that enables us to gather this data and guidance to help country offices test the tools, and gather and analyze the data. The AD approach Develops skills –programs develop and build skills to enable adolescents to succeed. “life skills” through community based activities such as child clubs and adolescent learning centers. The AD approach Promoted AFHS – this means that we work with institutions to make structural changes to attract adolescents and increase adolescent demand for information and use of services. These aren’t just health services –these also include microfinance, vocational, and nonformal literacy services. Changes might include training for service providers or local entrepreneurs to tailor their programs toward the needs of adolescents. Integrates adolescent led activities: Through the development of skills adolescents can become contributors to the well bieing of their society through civic participation. This is often seen through activities designed and implemented by adolescents that contribute to the enhance community wellbeing and connectedness.
We designed a cross sectoral approach. These are our principles of AD programming. Some of this may seem obvious to us programmers but this is critical that country offices keep this as a context for how we are to be working as we achieve our objectives for adolescents. These are the things we commit to in this work and keep in mind as we are implementing.
This is the AD Results Framework. The goal is quite broad but it relates to adolescents contributing to their society in a positive way. As you will see, at the SO level we seek positive practices – this is focused on the adolescent’s individual behaviors. It should be locally defined accordin to the country context and needs identified. Examples of positive practice include delayying sexual debut, delaying marriage, remaining in a monogamous relationship, using condoms at last sexual experience, abstaining from drugs and alcohol, using resources for improving skills development, acquiring financial management skils, completing an educational program or undertaking lifelong learning, adopting gender norms, etc. Use of opportunities –examples of using opportunities include completing an educational program, participating in financial readiness services, initiating a savings account, and utilizing sexual and reproductive health counseling and services such as family planning, HIV testing, reproductive health counseling etc. These link with Asset development ---this refers to the internal and external blocks of healthy development. Some examples include constructive use of time, involvement in community deveopment through adult-adolescent partnerships, commitment and motivation to learn, and developing a sense of personal power to resist negative peer pressure. The AD Strategic objective really offers a holistic and integrated approach to programming but we still want o be base this on sector specific objectives and activitiesSome initiatives will use cross sector initiatives but here are some examples of activities by IR. ARSH objectives are increasing quality and utilizarion of ARSH servcies including FP counselig and services, STI treatment and VCT for HIV.Behaviors could include use of contracetopn and condom, delaying sexual debut and marriage and practicing absinence and remaining in monogamous relationships. ED: increasing participation and completion of formal and nonformal edcauoin and training. Trasitions –including transition including rimary to secondary and lifelong learning. READ rest with a couple of examples.
Life cycle links in our community programs These are all conceptual links with other core programs. Since we are all working in the same communities it makes sence that we can integrate some aspects of our programming. This can make our who sponsorship package of programming more effective ans synergistic. We still have a ways to goin some countries on linking these issues. These are some examples that make sense and I am sure Cos will come up with many others.